Adopt-A-Classroom Program: A Potential Platform to Address the Root of Health Disparities in the US

• Published in: Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 1153 - 1156
• Main Authors: Lo, Wai Hong (Kevin), Laurencin, Cato T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: African Americans; Black or African American - statistics & numerical data; Black people; Cardiovascular diseases; Chronic illnesses; Classrooms; Connecticut; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Education; Epidemiology; Ethnic factors; Ethnic groups; Health disparities; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Hypertension; Mathematics; Medical schools; Medical students; Medical technology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority groups; Obesity; Perpetuation; Perspective Article; Physicians; Policy making; Premature mortality; Quality of Life Research; Science and technology; Social Inequality; Social Structure; Students; United States; White people; Workshops; United States; Connecticut; United States > US; Equity; Black doctors; Systemic racism; Adopt-A-Classroom; K-12 STEM education; Health disparities
• ISSN: 2197-3792; 2196-8837; 2196-8837
• DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-01990-6

The underrepresentation of Black doctors is a significant issue in the US that led to the perpetuation of health disparities in the African American community. Racial and ethnic minorities in the US have been shown to have higher rates of chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as higher rates of obesity and premature death compared to White people. While Blacks make up more than 13% of the US population, they comprise only 4% of US doctors and less than 7% of medical students. It is believed that this problem requires more deliberate efforts by policymakers and the educational establishment, not only at the undergraduate and medical school level, but earlier in the educational “pipeline”—the K-12 school system. While the medical field is rooted in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), we have launched a new initiative that will provide year-round STEM development activities for K-12 education in Connecticut in Hartford and Waterbury districts, especially among populations with health disparities.